I hate to say it, but it’s the end. As the clock turned 12:00 AM this morning, the summer of 2006 is officially over and tomorrow I will wake up to find myself driving to class. It has been a summer of amazing moments, and not so amazing down times. I am actually kind of ready to start school again and to get another semester out of the way. It’s hard to believe that I will be half way through grad school at the end of the semester. Me and the other grad students met with the new grad students tonight, and it was pretty surreal to think that last year I was in the exact same situation as they are. I was so nervous to be walking into my first year of graduate school. I don’t think I had ever been that nervous in my life. I can’t say that I can call Carbondale my home without a slight bit of trepidation in my voice, but I have come a long way in one year. Last year I was walking into SIU without knowing a single person, and tomorrow I will walk in as a confident grad student ready to get back to work. It is very hard to say goodbye to the lazy days of summer, and even harder to say goodbye to all the amazing times that I spent this summer. I was fortunate enough to be able to travel to Florida, Bimini, California, Las Vegas, and Colorado this summer. But what really made this summer so special was the people that I spent it with. Some quick memories from the summer of 2006….

Driving to Destin, FL after my first year review. That was one of the most liberating and relieving drives I have ever had.

Spending 5 days in Destin hanging out with Costello, JB, and Cook. I’ll never forget laying on the beach, playing frisbee, and living like royalty in a top floor condo.

Photographing graduations in Miami. I had a great time with the Bob Knight crew.

Heading over to Bimini with my aunt and uncle and my family. Not to mention almost getting attacked by a shark.

Going to California and Vegas with Casey and Costello. I’ll never forget that trip fellas.

Trying to cool off in a blow up pool with multiple holes in it. (very difficult)

Going to Colorado with my family for a week. Sitting in a natural hot spring in Colorado is pretty amazing.

Taking it easy before school started. yeh, i was lazy